BBC News
By Dominic Casciani
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The body overseeing criminal sentences in England and Wales is proposing treating paedophiles who are caught in stings the same as abusers who harm real children.
The plan from the Sentencing Council says judges should look at intent, rather than whether a child was harmed.
Undercover operations with officers posing as children are a common way of uncovering paedophile rings.
Offenders have sought reduced jail terms if no child came to harm.
The rules will cover the sentencing of all abusers caught via stings, usually operating online - including those run by police forces around the world and traps set by informal groups of people often dubbed paedophile hunters .
Paedophiles caught committing crimes in online stings could be jailed for up to 14 years under a new shake-up of sentencing guidelines.The Sentencing Council for England and Wales, which provides
Child sex offenders who are caught in online stings by paedophile hunters or police officers posing as children should be treated the same as real-life abusers, sentencing council says
New guidelines would target those snared by undercover police or paedophile hunter groups made up of citizens who detain suspects before abuse takes place
Judges currently treat offenders as low harm despite an intent to commit abuse
The UK Sentencing Council suggests these offenders should be treated with the same level of gravity regardless of whether a child was involved in their crimes
It comes after the Court of Appeal increased the sentences of four men, stating the intention of the men should ve been the key starting point for their sentences
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